In 2012, the Indian technology industry had $100 billion in revenues and contributed 7.5% to India’s GDP. The technology sector in India is uniquely positioned to change India’s economic outlook, and women in the technology sector can play an important role in this transformation.

Unlike in many other countries and industries, the high-potential women in India’s technology organizations start their careers in similar positions, have similar levels of responsibility, and earn comparable salaries as men.

Despite this promising start, a gender gap emerges over time. In this report, Catalyst found that:

Women reported earning Rs. 3,79,570 (approximately US $6,000) less than men in their current jobs.

Women and men received similar amounts of development through formal programs, but women received fewer of the on-the-job experiences, or “hot jobs,” that really matter, such as international assignments and mission-critical roles, than men.

Women in dual-career marriages (19%) were four times more likely than men (5%) to report that they had assumed the role of “stay-at-home-partner” at some point in their career.

All these factors coalesce to contribute to a lack of female talent in critical senior-level positions in India’s technology sector.

Organizations in India can’t afford a leaky pipeline of talented women. Focusing on ensuring pay equity, equal access to developmental opportunities, and flexible and inclusive environments for women is critical for retaining this important talent.

Hi Charlotte, yes, we did look at that! We saw great mobility in general in this sample (with employees having almost 3 jobs over an average of 12 years). Yet, there was a gender gap - even after controlling for age and work experience, men had worked at more organizations than women. We report more stats on this on p.4 of the report. I'd love to hear more about your thought process behind this question, Charlotte!

If the biggest salary gains come when one negotiates for a new job, then changing jobs more frequently should lead to higher salaries. That has been the way it has been working in the US so it would be no surprise if something similar showed up in Indian statistics.